The Basics of Fantasy Football
written especially for women
So what's the deal with fantasy football?
This article is for those of you who are rookies at fantasy football. Playing fantasy football is a way for average Joes (and Josephines) to own and manage a team of real football players. You select the players for your team, decide who to start and who to bench, and cheer on your boys every weekend as you go up against another team in your league.
Rosters
You can pick players from any combination of NFL teams; the player affiliations do not matter (for example, you don't have to pick all Cowboys). Usually each team is made up of 14 pro-players (this number varies depending on which website you are using). Typically, you start 1 quarterback, 2 running backs, 3 wide receivers, 1 tight end, and 1 team defense. This leaves you 5 players on the bench, considered reserve players that you can swap in each week if you choose.
Scoring
When the guys on your team play on Sunday (or Monday night) they generate stats (passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards, and touchdowns). These are the numbers that you want to listen for as you are watching NFL games or NFL telecasts. In fantasy football, those stats are how your team scores points. The point system varies depending on your league, so you will want to familiarize yourself with your specific league settings (you should be able to find this on your league homepage). Below is an example of a common point system for passing stats:
25 passing yards in real life = 1 fantasy point
1 passing touchdown in real life = 6 fantasy points
So, for example, if you are starting Tom Brady and at the end of the game he has accumulated 200 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns, he will have scored 20 points for your fantasy team [200 passing yards (8 points) + 2 touchdowns (12 points) = 20 points]. For those of you who are math challenged, don't worry the website does all of the calculations for you.
Your final score for each week (after all of your players have finished their games) is the sum of points scored by each of your starting players. Once the Monday night game is complete, the points of the person in your league that you are up against are added in the same fashion, and whoever (you or your opponent) has the highest score wins.
These are just the basics of scoring. As already mentioned, be sure to check out the point system that is set up for your specific league. And whatever you do, don't let any of this scare you. Fantasy football is easy to play. Think of the people you know who play... Winning fantasy football is not near as easy, but it can be done. Just keep your team up-to-date and read articles about your players (in order to know who to start and who to bench). And be sure to cheer your guys on during their games!